Stomach tube holder



Dec. 15, 1964 BETTY SHAW 3, NOW BY CHANGE OF NAME BETTY SANDS STOMACH TUBE HOLDER Filed Oct. 31, 1962 INVENTOR BETTY L. SHAW NOW BY CHANGE OF NAME BETTY L. SANDS United States Patent 3,161,199 STOMA'CH TUBE HQLDER Betty L. Shaw, 1994 NW. 7th St, Uklahoma City, Okla,

now by change of name Betty L. Sands, assignor of fifty percent to Varvel R. Robertson, Oklahoma City,

Okla.

Filed Get. 31, E62, Ser. No. 234,338 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-348) This invention relates to rubber and equivalent stomach tubes, gavaging tubes or the like chiefly for use in a hospital, sick room or similar place and pertains, more particularly, to improved means which functions to correctly position a stomach tube, for example, in its intended place in the nasal passage and stomach of a patient, retain it, and guard against accidental displacement thereof.

Stomach tubes are in widespread use in connection with post operative cases, premature babies and the chronic paralytic who has suffered a stroke and wherein the throat has become so involved that the victim has to be constantly tube fed, oftentimes over a period of one to several years. Adhesive tape has customarily been relied upon and while acceptable as a convenience has proved to be unsatisfactory. For example, many patients are sensitive to adhesive tape. Tape will allow a nasal tube to slip from its moorings and the result can and often does prove fatal. Adhesive tape, when taped under the nose, with the constant warm breathing of the patient will cause the tube to slip and reposition itself undesirably. If the tube is taped to the side of the patients face it can change position and cause great discomfort. When the tube is brought up over the nose and taped to the forehead, it will loosen as a result of oily skin or perspiration. Then, too, where a nasal tube incorrectly anchored it can and does cause pressure on the top side of the nostril where the tube is inserted.

Briefly the herein disclosed concept, generically construed, is characterized by a nasal tube, and means for retaining the tube in the intended nasal passage, said means comprising an elongated flexible applicator strap having a conformable median surface portion adapted to reside fiatwise atop the patients upper lip beneath the nose as usual, an adjustable head encircling band having ends thereof connected to cooperating ends of said strap, said tube having a portion thereof operatively connected with the aforementioned median portion.

Two embodiments or forms of the invention are herein revealed one which is best shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, and the other in FIGS. 6 and 7. In both forms of the invention, and this is optional, the adapter or applicator strap which fits across the upper lip with end portions extending across the patients checks is provided on the interior surface with a washable cloth or equivalent pad or lining. In addition, the strap is perforated to provide ventilating holes and the lining is highly porous to promote comfort in what is believed to be a clearly evident manner.

One embodiment of the invention is novel in that the median portion of the flexibly pliant or equivalent strap is provided with lengthwise spaced parallel slits which define an intervening portion which in turn defines a loop, said loop adapted to embrace that portion of the tube which is threaded therethrough.

In the other form of the invention an opening is provided at the center of the strap to which an end of the stomach tube is communicatively joined in such a way that a free end portion of a separate feeding tube can be fitted through the opening and allowed to telescope into the end of the stomach tube whereby to provide a detachable tube which can be removed whenever necessary or desired.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details 3,lfii,l% Patented Dec. 15, 1964 ice of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective showing a stomach tube joined with and carried by an improved holder therefor, the holder being illustrated in its customarily usable position on the patient;

FIGURE 2 is also a View in perspective which shows how one free end of the head encircling elastic band is detachably and adjustably connectible with a cooperating end of the tube strap, portions of the interior cotton lining being illustrated at the left and right respectively in this figure;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view in section and elevation taken approximately on the plane of the section line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the indicating arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 with the connectible end portion of the exterior tube shown detached;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-section on the plane of the line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 6 is a view in perspective somewhat similar to FIG. 2 showing only an end portion of the head encircling band and wherein a modified tube connection is illustrated; and

FIGURE 7 is a view similar in purpose to FIG. 3, for example, but showing the modification of FIG. '6 in use.

Reference will be made first to FIGS. 1 to 5, inclusive, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2. With reference in particular to FIG. 2 the numeral 8 designates a stomach tube the portion 10 of which is adapted to extend down into the patients stomach, (not detailed). The portion 12 is adapted to be lodged in the nasal passage of the patient in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3. The bendable terminal end portion 14 is formed integrally with a median portion 16 of the flexible pliant plastic adapter and retaining strap 1%. There is an opening at 20 which is designated and adapted to permit an end portion 22 (FIG. 3) to be passed through the opening and into the intake end portion 14 of the stomach tube 8, in fact fitted telescopically in place and retained while in use by friction or otherwise in the manner illustrated. This tube is distinguished by the numeral 24 and is the readily attachable and detachable tube. In other words while two tubes are here shown and described it will be evident that the tube 8 is part of the adapter or applicator strap 8 and that the tube 24 is separate. However, it would be within the purview of the invention to join the end portion 22 of the tube 24 to the apertured position 20 of the strap. However this may be, the strap is approximately 10 to 10% inches long and one-quarter to one-half an inch wide. One end portion of this strap is denoted at 26 and a cooperating end portion 28 of the elastic head encircling band 30 is suitably connected thereto. The free end 32 of the band is connectible with the cooperating end portion 34 of the strap by way of a suitable buckle or equivalent connector 36. The numeral 38 designates a pad or washable cloth or fabric lining which is adhesively or otherwise attached to the interior surface 4b of the strap and which material is highly porous. If desired the strap may be provided with a multiplicity of ventilating holes or pores 42 (FIG. 5) to promote circulation of air and ventilation. In this connection it may be pointed out that this same lining or pad means and ventilation feature can be incorporated in the modification illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 (but not shown).

With reference now to the modification in FIGS. 6 and 7 the adapter strap or applicator is denoted by the numeral 44 and one end portion 46 of the headband 43 is connected in any suitable manner to a cooperating end i 50 of the strap 44. The other end portion 52 of this strap is provided with a buckle 54. The median portion of the strap here is denoted at 56 and it is provided with lengthwise spaced parallel slits 60 which cooperate in defining an intervening struck-out strip'portion 62 which when bent out in the manner illustrated in FIG. 7 provides a belt-type loop. This construction permits a portion 64 of the stomach tube 66 to be detachably and adjustably mounted. The portion of the tube which is adapted to extend down into the stomach is denoted at 68 and the other end portion below the adapter or applicator is denoted at 76. The manner of using this particular embodiment of the invention will be clear by examining FIG. 6 and then comparing it with FIG. 7.

It will be evident that the present invention differs from prior art structures in that no suction cup or equivalentattaching device for use on the patients forehead or on other areas of the face is here required. Secondly, the present invention does not use or depend in any manner on nose guards or shields sometimes referred to as nose cones. Nor is this invention in any manner used to afford protection to any part of the medical apparatus other than the tube means and harnessing means for mounting the same on the patients head.

Because of the efliciency of the tube means and the associated harnessing means therefor efficient results. are

assured. Compared with prior art adaptations the present invention constitutesran advance in the art which. ensures satisfactory functioning and. a minimum of discomfort to the user. Consequently, the user or patient accepts the use of the invention andin situations where the tube extent of the improvements involved.

Therefore, a more extended description is regarded as unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and'operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed-as new is as follows:

1. For use in positioning and reliably retaining a nasaltype stomach tube, gavaging tube or the like in position while it isbeing used comprising: a nasal tube, and means for retaining the tube in the intended nasal passage, said means comprising an elongated flexible applicator strap having a conformable median surface portion adapted to reside flatw-ise atop the patients upper lip beneath the nose as usual, and adjustable head-encircling band having ends thereof connected to cooperating ends of said strap, said 'median portionhaving an accessible feeding hole communicable with and integrally joined with a cooperating intake end portion of said tube, and, in combination, a second tubecomplemental to said nasal tube and having an end portion projecting through said opening and telescoping into said cooperating portion of said nasal tube.

2. The structure according to claim 1, and wherein said strap is perforated to provide ventilating holes, the interior; surface of said strap having awashable cloth lining for direct contact with the wearer.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,015,113 Johnson Sept. .24, 1935 2,735,432 Hudson Feb. 21, 1956 2,831,487 Tafilaw Apr. 22, 1958 2,868,199 Hudson Ian. 13, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,057,738 Germany May 21, 1959 

1. FOR USE IN POSITIONING AND RELIABLY RETAINING A NASALTYPE STOMACH TUBE, GAVAGING TUBE OR THE LIKE IN POSITION WHILE IT IS BEING USED COMPRISING: A NASAL TUBE, AND MEANS FOR RETAINING THE TUBE IN THE INTENDED NASAL PASSAGE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE APPLICATOR STRAP HAVING A CONFORMABLE MEDIAN SURFACE PORTION ADAPTED TO RESIDE FLATWISE ATOP THE PATIENT''S UPPER LIP BENEATH THE NOSE AS USUAL, AND ADJUSTABLE HEAD-ENCIRCLING BAND HAVING ENDS THEREOF CONNECTED TO COOPERATING ENDS OF SAID STRAP, SAID MEDIAN PORTION HAVING AN ACCESSIBLE FEEDING HOLE COMMUNICABLE WITH AND INTEGRALLY JOINED WITH A COOPERATING INTAKE END PORTION OF SAID TUBE, AND, IN COMBINATION, A SECOND TUBE COMPLEMENTAL TO SAID NASAL TUBE AND HAVING AN END PORTION PROJECTING THROUGH SAID OPENING AND TELESCOPING INTO SAID COOPERATING PORTION OF SAID NASAL TUBE. 